David Neufeld builds authentic brick ovens much like those used for centuries all over the world. Custom designed to compliment both the entertaining environment and the cook's propensities, these ovens hold heat for up to three days on one firing with a small quantity of wood. Visit his website at: www.truebrickovens.com

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Viva Italia in Ojai

I rarely but purposely review a restaurant that stands out even among really good restaurants.
Osteria Monte Grappa in Ojai, California achieves the distinction of making one feel and taste Italy.
If the waiters spoke Italian or accented English, I would have been totally convinced.

That minor deficit aside, the owners travel to local farms daily to harvest vegetables, and to local butchers for their meats. Both dishes we had included great sides of polenta and steamed chard and golden carrots.
The atmosphere in Osteria Monte Grappa reproduces the Italian tendency to welcome couples and families. The warmth among the staff is familial and the food is both honest and extraordinarily tasty.

There are surprises. Two we experienced were an eggplant dish with smoked mozzarella and a desert called Panettone that brought me back to Tuscany in a mouthful.

About Me

Lovell, Maine and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, New England, United States

David Neufeld has been working as a landscape designer and stoneworker for most of his life. As a freelance writer, he works in the medium of words and photographs. For twenty years he toured the country as a professional storyteller before cooling his heels in rural New England.
His background in story creation enters his work as a landscape designer, found object sculptor, and photographer.
His works of fiction, sci-fi, non-fiction and humor have been published by numerous publishers.
He holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts degree.
He believes that there are no dull subjects, only dull presentations.